Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the thick, elastic tissue (plantar fascia) located in the sole of the foot. The plantar fascia connects the heel bone (calcaneus) to the base of the toes (metatarsophalangeal joints), creating the soft tissue support of the arch of the foot. Generally, inflammation occurs when the plantar fascia is overstretched or overused. Inflammation causes sharp or dull pain and/or stiffness at the bottom of the heel. Although regular daytime movement may stretch the fascia and ease the pain of the sufferer, during seep the foot relaxes and the plantar fascia contracts. Because the tendon remains static for multiple hours, it binds and develops scar tissue. In the morning during the initial weight-bearing steps, the plantar fascia of the sufferer may be stretched abruptly, thereby tearing the scar tissue. This cycle of plantar fascia binding and tearing is a primary source of pain to the sufferer and prolongs the healing process.
Risk factors for plantar fasciitis include: arch problems wherein both flat feet and high arches are risk factors; obesity or rapid and/or sudden weight gain; long-distance running; long-term pressure to the arches, as in the cases of those in the food-service industry; tight Achilles tendons (the tendon which connects the calf muscle to the heel); and shoes with poor arch support or weak soles. According to the National Institute of Health, plantar fasciitis most commonly affects men ages 40-70. An article in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery claims that two million Americans are affected annually, and ten percent of the population suffers from plantar fasciitis in their lifetimes.
Options for treatment and prevention of plantar fasciitis include, but are not limited to:                1) stretching of the calf muscles, the Achilles tendon, the arches, and the plantar fascia, both with and without the use of devices;        2) rest;        3) direct application of ice;        4) use of daytime orthotics (foot supporters);        5) use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;        6) local injection of corticosteroids; and        7) administration of extracorporeal shockwave therapy.        
Generally, a tailored prescription of one or more of the above treatments may improve the pain associated with plantar fasciitis. Patients and healthcare professionals generally allow between three months and two years for the symptoms to improve. Plantar fasciitis is considered a curable condition, with the median of patients noticing improvement in nine months. Rarely, surgery is necessary for relief from plantar fasciitis. A number of specific treatment methods proposed in the prior art for treating plantar fasciitis, include the following.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,155 issued to Strassburg, et al. discloses a Static ankle plantar-flexion prevention device, now widely marketed as the Strassburg Sock. The device is designed to hold the plantar fascia “in a neutral to slight dorsiflexion by means of passive static tension, thus not allowing it to contract.” The device was designed with an “over the calf sock . . . a reinforced adjustable support strap . . . a reinforced inelastic adjustable strap attached to the toe of the sock.” The device was designed with simplicity in mind and allows for ankle movement. The invention is recommended for nighttime use and during periods of inactivity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,659 issued to Stano discloses an Ankle foot orthosis night splint with orthowedge. Proposed as an inexpensive orthosis “for the treatment of foot and ankle conditions including Plantar fasciitis and tendonitis, the orthosis is a rigid, molded shell manufactured in a variety of incremental sizes, having a generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration and a flat foot bed, covered by a soft fabric covering, and using a removable and interchangeable foot bed wedge insert permitting the angle of dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion and eversion to be varied.” This prototype was a pioneer in the field of night-splints, which since has broadened to include a variety of models.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,741 issued to Prieskorn discloses an orthopedic foot splint with a “rigid brace adapted to be worn on the front of the lower leg while leaving the rear of the leg, ankle and heel uncovered.” This variation to the invention of Stano is designed to increase night-time comfort “because there is no rigid structure to come between the patient's leg or foot and a mattress or other surface on which the leg may be resting,” but still requires the brace to extend up the leg, stretching the Achilles tendon.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,804,902 issued to McCracken discloses an Adjustable arch support orthosis including a “variably tensioned arch curve and method of utilizing orthosis.” In order to support the arch and foot of the user, “the arch support orthosis includes a metatarsal curve, a curved heel portion and a continuous medial longitudinal arch curve.” Designed for both “weighted and unweighted use,” the device allows the user to adjust the tension along the arch curve in order to treat foot and arch disorders, including plantar fasciitis. This development attempts to use fewer rigid materials in order to stretch the calf, but the device requires a strap on the lower leg and maintains a stretch to the Achilles tendon.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,572,241 issued to Slautterback, et al. discloses an orthopedic night foot splint which “maintains the wearer's foot . . . in a pre-selected amount of dorsiflexion.” The splint is designed with a footplate, a bracket attached at the heel region, a “strut . . . extending along the lower leg of the wearer,” and a strut sleeve. The device is fully adjustable and “provides a comfortable ‘slipper-like’ feel for the wearer.” Again, the comfort is emphasized, but this device requires the calf to be engaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,753,864 issued to Beckwith discloses a Foot support device designed with a “calf strap removably engagable to the calf of a leg, a foot assembly removably engagable to the foot . . . and a substantially inelastic tension member connectable between the calf strap and the foot.” This device was designed to hold the plantar surface of the foot “in a neutral to slight dorsiflection.” Again, though the plantar surface is held in “slight dorsiflection (sic),” the calf is engaged.
Therefore, there is a need to address some or all of the abovementioned shortcomings.